Etihad Airways will add the Airbus A350-1000 to its flights between Sydney and Abu Dhabi, which will feature new business class suites.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners currently serving routes to Sydney and Melbourne will also be upgraded to include the new business suites as the airline overhauls its Australian routes.
“We are delighted to bring more premium travel options to Australia with the arrival of our A350 on this important route. When the schedule is fully deployed early next year, we will have grown overall seat availability by 10%, and premium seat count by over 20%,” said Etihad chief revenue and commercial officer Arik De.
“We have increased our flight frequencies to Sydney this year, offering guests greater flexibility and enhanced connectivity across our expanding global network. This growth provides more seamless travel options to key destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and also welcomes more visitors to our home in Abu Dhabi, where they can enjoy our exclusive stopover programme, featuring one or two-night complimentary stays at a premium hotel.”
The A350s’ business class includes 44 Business Studio suites, which the airline said will boost its premium seat count by over 20%. Each suite features a sliding door, and seats can convert into a 79-inch flat bed.
These planes will also host 327 economy class seats equipped with 13-inch touch screens.
Etihad’s A350s will begin flying on routes between Abu Dhabi and Sydney from October 2025, and all weekly Sydney flights will be served by A350s from January 2026. The airline first began rolling out its A350s in 2022.
Routes between Abu Dhabi and Melbourne will be served by the 787-9 Dreamliners, which will include 28 Business Studio suites.
Flights between Abu Dhabi and Sydney will increase from daily to 10 per week from July.
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